The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1887-02-10
"COUSlN TOM"
"Mary, l am astonished!"


Miss Ruth could scarcely credit the
evidence of her own senses in the hazy
glow of the August morning. when
she came out of the shadows Of the
little south porch aud Dissolved that
yonder moving object. half way up
among the branches Of the huge old
pear tree. was not a spray of leaves,
nor cluster of sun checked pears,
swinging in the blue empyrean, but
Miss Mary Thorne, comfortably perch
ed in the crook of the old tree, her curls
all flecked with the sifted ray of sun
shine that came down through the
shifting canopy of leaves, and q book
in her hand.
81 don't care" said the little dsmsel,
laughing saucy defiance. It's the
incest place in the world up here. I
feel just like bird, with the leaves
filttering against my face and the
wind blowing SO softly, and / intend
to stay here. Wouldn't you like to
come up here. Ruthy? It's easily
DONE Just put your foot on that knot,
and then"
Ruth who was thirty and whighed q
hundred and sixty pounds, bristled up
with amazement.
"Mary Thorne, are You crazy? Come
down this instant"
Indeed l shan't!" sail naughty
Mary, tossing the silky shower of curls
away from her forehead, and glancing
down with eyes that shone and sparkled
like two blue jewels.
"Bnt we are all going"
eyes, understand; you are all geing
in triumphal procession to the depot to
render an ovation to the great Profess
sor La Plsce, the wisest, sagest and
grandest of mankind, to whom the
Thorne family have the unutterable
honor of being second cousins, and to
escort him solcmnly to q months So
iourn at Thorne Hall. Oh, dear!"
calculated Nary, II wish 1 could run
away somewhere and hide. hate this
paragon OF prim precision. shan't
marry him if he asks, and I mean to be-
have so badly that he won't dream of it.
No, I am not going with you. L hate
the close ba.,ouche, and it's too warm to
ride on horseback. I shall stay at
home"
And Mary settled herself so snugly,
with one tiny, slippered foot swinging
down, and her pretty head close to q
nest of blue-speckled birds eggs, that
Ruth gave it up with sigh of despair.
"Well, then, have it your own way,
you incorrigible romp. I wish you
weren't too big to shut up in dark
closet, or have your ears we'll boxed"
ut is a pity, isn't it," said Mary,
demurely.
"Ofcourse it is, Mary! If Cousin Tom
Bradley comes this morning. be sure to
explain to him why we are absent-and
behave like young lady, mind!"
"All right" said Mary, dauntlessly.
II always liked Tom. We used to have
grand romps together!"
She sat there in the old pear tree,
prettier than any hamadryad that ever
might have haunted the messy old vet
eran of the garden. her cheeks touched
with sunshine and carmine, her dim
pied lips apart, now reading line OF
two from tie book in her lap, now
looking up, rspt in girlish reverie. into
the blue sky, as it sparkled down
through ever moving leaves, and now
breaking into soft little MARBLE of
song, to which the very robins them
selves put their heads to ono side to
listen.
The carriage had driven away long
since. She had watched it beyond the
curve of the winding road; the dark
mantle of shadow was slowly following
the creeping sun glow across the velvet
lawn below, and the clock in the old
church-spire among the far off woods
had chimed out eleven.
And still Mary Thorne sat there in
those forked branches of the old pear
tree.
Suddenly there foated into her leafy
sanctum pungent, aromatic odor,
which made her lean curiously for
ward. shading her eyes with one hand,
better to penetrate the green foliage be-
low.
Not the late monthly roses. not the
amethyst borders of heliotrope, nor the
spicy geraniums-none of these bios.
SONS distilled that peculiar smell.
"My patience!" said little Mary; "it's
cigar"
A cigar it was, and the owner there
of-she could just see a white linen
coat and tall head covered with black
wavy curls-- stood on the porch steps
quietly smoking and indulging in q
heightened view of the garden slopes.
CHATS Tom Bradley" said Mary to
herself. "Now, if he thinks I'm COM
ing down out of this delicious, cool
place to sit straight in the hot parlors,
he's mistaken! Toni" she called
out, in silver accent of imper-
alive summons, and then burst into
merry laughter at the evident amaze
ment with which the stranger gazed
round him, vainly trying to conjecture
whence the call had proceeded. "You
dear, stupid Cousin Toml' she eiacula.
ted. Don't stare off toward tie cab
bage bed. Look straight up here.
You may come if you please; there is
| plenty of room for both. You are
Cousin Tom, aren't you?" she contin'
ued, as sudden misgivings crossed hel
mind.
"Of course I am; and you are Mary
suppose?"
"Mary herself. Up with you Tom
Catch hold of this branch-there! Now
shake hanas-You saucy fellowl
didn't say you might kiss mel"
"Well, l couldn't help it; and, be.
sides. aren't we cousins ?" said Mr.. Tom
swinging himself comfortably into 6
ranch just above Mary.
"Why, Tom, how you have changed =
calculated the young lady, pushing
back the curls with one hand, that she
might better view the playmate of he1
childhood's days. Your hair never
curled SO before; and what nice mus
taehe you've got ] shouldn't have
known you Toni"
"No?" said Tom, roguishly.
"And you've grown SO tall!-I de.
clare. Tom, you're splendid"
II could return the same compli
=